Home Standard1 Standard2 Standard3 Standard4 Standard5 Standard7 Standard8 Standard9 Standard10

Standard 6


Teachers Communicate Well

The teacher uses effective verbal and nonverbal communication techniques as well as instructional media and technology to foster active inquiry, collaboration, and supportive interaction in the classroom.

Rationale 6: This lesson plan was created for a sixth grade literacy class in which the students participate in an online course setting within the classroom or school computer lab. Online activities included teacher-directed discussions, assignment submission, student “water cooler” questions, games, and gradebook.

Evidence: http://www.edmodo.com/home/ (link to Edmodo site)

KSD:

6.K.4 The teacher recognizes the importance of nonverbal, verbal and media communication techniques.

Encouraging students to discuss online enables all learners to participate in a non-threatening way. Students also communicate with their peers through texting, instant messaging, and facebook, therefore Edmodo is the “educational facebook.”

6.S.5 The teacher knows how to use a variety of media communication tools, including audiovisual aids and computers, to enrich learning opportunities.

For this unit, students read Maximum Ride novels written by James Patterson. As students listened to the audiobooks, they were instructed to draw images that formulated in their minds. Students also followed along in their books while the narrator told the story. Students also uploaded assignments and answered threaded discussion questions online. To end the unit, a movie trailer was created with key parts of Maximum Ride, with the ending scene leaving audiences itching to find out what happens next. The school’s media center has a copy of the trailer to entice students.

6.D.2 The teacher values many ways in which people seek to communicate and encourages many modes of communication in the classroom.

Students need the ability to express themselves in more than the traditional way of raising your hand. Online discussions allow more students to demonstrate their knowledge and insight. Edmodo allows students and teachers to make posts and respond to one another in a safe way. Students also may communicate best through nonverbal cues through movement. The movie trailer enabled those students to convey their understanding.